Bee funding creates a buzz
New funding will be used to research the health of bees
Over £4 million has been released by the UK government to help scientists discover what is behind major falls in the global bee population.
A drop in the number of the insects across the world has caused concern among experts, with many struggling to identify if the problem is due to weather conditions, a mite or possibly disease.
However, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced it is to release £2.3 million over the next two years for bee health research.
In addition, another £2 million will be made available across the next five years.
Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, said bees are "vulnerable to a number of threats".
"We must get to grips with this, to see just how serious a problem it is, what the impacts on pollination are and what we can do in response," he added.
The British Beekeepers' Association welcomed the announcement, with chairman Martin Smith adding that the body will do all it can to ensure funding is allocated to the right areas.
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